Mobile vehicles, such as, for example, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are becoming more commonly used in a wide variety of applications. These vehicles are typically equipped with one or more sensors to monitor and collect data regarding the vehicle's surrounding environment. This data is often transmitted through other relay vehicles over wireless data links to a human operator or a central data gathering station.
In some applications, mobile vehicles can perform their desired functions by operating at high altitudes or in other free-space environments in which wireless communications between the vehicles are virtually unobstructed. In other applications, however, it may be desirable to use mobile vehicles in environments having complex terrain, such as, for example, urban environments with tall buildings or natural environments with hills, valleys, trees, or other obstructions. In such complex environments, the wireless communications between mobile vehicles are subject to very complicated electromagnetic interference effects. Even a slight displacement of a vehicle's position may result in significant changes in the transmitted/received bit rates of the vehicle.
Nevertheless, in conventional applications, mobile vehicles are typically placed in default locations determined in advance, and very little, if any, attempt is made to improve the signal strength of wireless communications between the mobile vehicles. Thus, a need exists for a method to improve the capacity of wireless communications between mobile vehicles operating in complex environments.